Pakistani Islamists protest against pro-women law

[FVZA_Colonel]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061210/india_nm/india279771



Pakistani Islamists protest against pro-women law

KARACHI (Reuters) - Thousands of Islamist protesters demonstrated in southern Pakistan on Sunday against a new law that reduces the burden of proof on rape victims by allowing them to seek justice without the need for four male witnesses.

The Women Protection Bill, signed into law last month, was seen as a key test for President Pervez Musharraf's philosophy of "enlightened moderation" for his predominantly Muslim country.

The protest in the country's biggest city of Karachi came a day after Musharraf ruled out any changes to the law despite calls from the Islamists.

Some 10,000 supporters of the Islamist parties, most of them bearded, chanted slogans of "Down with Musharraf" and "Down with the Women Protection Law" at the rally and demanded the government scrap the law.

[seriousstan]

1. Ahhh, the religion of peace. Let's not forget about their idea of gays...

Of course this was Iran. The enemy of your enemy is not always your friend.

[Mojorabbit]

2. I read an article here earlier from the nyt

They make a good point that there are a whole lot of non arab muslims that are not extreme especially in Asia.
One Asian stated that Arabs are just male chauvenists.

[JCMach1]

3. Point- Pakistanis are not Arabs...

neither are Persians, or Turks...

[JCMach1]

4. Of course, you are missing the fact that they are passing a law to protect

Women's rights...

Pakistan is a crazy quilt of different ethnic groups. They really only share one thing: religion. Some share language, but not everyone.

Some areas of Pakistan are advanced and more Westernized, while the vast bulk of the rural hinterlands is exactly what you would expect anywhere: BACKWARDS looking.


Regardless of how you spin it, this is a positive move in the right direction.

[rodeodance]

5. I am glad to see this new law. Slow in coming.

[JCMach1]

6. Way too long in coming!

As in many countries, religion has been used as a pre-text to keep women 'in their place' and 'under control' (i.e. supporting cultural patriarchy) for far too long...

Last time I checked it seemed like the Koran was always talking about the RIGHTS of women. Funny how humans seemed to have messed that up with their cultural baggage...

[Igel]

7. Some "founding fathers" were concerned that the

Constitution would enumerate rights. The thinking was that people would infer that any listing of rights was exhaustive. It wasn't; but for many, this is the inference drawn.

The Koran's listing of rights has been taken to be exhaustive. Their rights are (only) as great as the text can be taken to imply. The limitations are taken to be conclusive: They can never be greater.

It's not the text, it's the interpretation. The interpretation by non-Muslims is frequently different than the interpretation given the text by Muslims, and the interpretation rendered by Sufis is often at odds to that given by Salafis. To argue otherwise is to say that Salafis (or Sufis) are ignorant of what they actually believe, or that they are apostate and/or not Muslim. For a Muslim to do this is takfir, and usually condemned by most Muslims (to their hurt); for a non-Muslim to do this is simply arrogant.